Reason and Result
by Adept94
Summary: A half year later, Kirino and Kyousuke have to see that their happiness is build on a shaky fundament. Once again it's time for life consulation- just this time they have to solve the problems they caused, rather when the ones they have.


Warning: Considerable amounts of fluff ahead.

* * *

White puffs. My breath created little clouds, which disappeared while still in sight. I was running.

No, actually, I was stumbling really fast, the running ended a mile or so ago. I felt like shit, but at the same time I was incredible satisfied.

Finally I reached the door to the apartment-building I was living in. Like an old geezer I was leaning on the door, and like many times before it kept me from falling over. Until someone opened it. I fell.

*thump*

"Oh, you're late."

I knew that voice very well. So well, that I knew that the disappointment in it was faked, something which I wouldn't have been able to figure out just a year before.

My eyes have been closed since I have found my way to the door and tried get my breathing under control. As I opened them, I saw the person which the familiar voice belonged to.

Bright blue eyes were looking down on me. Strawberry-blondish hair were hanging down, long enough so it was covering higher back. She was wearing a T-shirt which belonged to me, together with a skirt she had bought sometime to leave it at my apartment.

From my point of view I was able to see also another part of her clothes.

"The blue-white ones, huh?"

I didn't needed to see her face to know that she was blushing like mad. The shoe stomping down on my face left no room for misinterpretation.

* * *

But, how rude of me. I didn't introduce myself until know. My name is Kousaka Kyousuke.

I would like to say that I'm an average, normal university student. But well, I know multiple person which get at for that. So, let's be more accurate and say that I'm a slightly over-average university student.

My grades were good, even though I struggled most of the time I was in high-school. I didn't had too many friends in my lessons, while at the same time I also had no problems like being unpopular.

Outside of school… well. I have some friends, and almost all of them are girls.

It wasn't because I were handsome, especially back then. I have been the very definition of average-looking. I did no real sports, but haven't been fat. I had no pretty face, but at the same time I haven't been ugly. I have just been completely average.

So, if I had to explain why so many girls were befriended with me, I would just say that it happened somehow. Most of them have been friends of my sister, and then they became also my friends.

By the way, my sister, Kousaka Kirino, was the girl which stumped on my face fifteen minutes before. Right now I was sitting on a sofa in my flat, pressing a pack of ice on my lips. I was rather lucky that despite cold weather outside, she came in sportshoes, rather than boots or something like that.

Right now she was in the kitchen, while in the whole apartment it started to smell like food.

I was really, really worried.

Kirino's cooking had always been very… special. Ayase, a very good friend of Kirino, as well as Sakurai, a rather annoying friend of us both, had been already victim to her food.

I putted sown the ice pack from my swelling lip, so I was able to speak.

"Kirino, didn't we agreed on Italian food last week?"

"Fool! What do you think I'm cooking here?"

I had to admit that it smelled a little bit like pasta. However, I knew better than that.

With a heavy sigh I was standing up. My legs felt like they were made out of lead, and protested against being used after the rather short break. Right after I entered my flat together with Kirino I took a short shower and after that I sat down on my sofa. Since then I haven't even moved to turn on the TV.

Kirino meanwhile were in the kitchen. Since she had a key to my flat (as well as Kuroneko, Ayase, and my father had one) she had been here before I came back from jogging. That was awfully much time she had been able to use my kitchen. I was really afraid.

But nonetheless I made my way in the rather small kitchen. It wasn't a long way. For a student-apartment it was rather big, but still it was a student-apartment. Without the financial help of my old man I wouldn't be able to live here.

The apartment-building was part of a district filled with students, and stores which fulfilled the needs and desires of students. So, beside an abundance of cheap food, one could also find coffee which could raise the dead, the booze which will make you drink the coffee, as well as books, paper and other university related stuff.

The Italian was one of the slightly more expansive restaurants of the district. Still, Kirino and myself were eating frequently there. Not only was the food superb, the way to the restaurant were also rather short. We were never eating there, so it wasn't too bad that none of us both had to hurry up on the way, so the food wouldn't become cold.

Also none of us would like to walk too much- Kirino always comes here jogging, since "the distance was ideal", at least she said so. From here to the home of my family it was roughly 8 miles. More than a hour when running- 10 minutes when using the metro.

But I won't complain. I'm happy that she was visiting me every week, even though I was coming home to eat with the family at weekends.

The Italian was a favorite of both of us. I even had to treat her this week. But Kirino still made food.

It didn't made too much sense to me, especially since Kirino knew that she was a really bad cook.

As I entered the Kirchen, I was ready to defend myself and my sister from anything which would jump out of the cooking pot.

Kirino noticed my unease.

"Oi! Don't look like you are fearing for your life! Your cute little sister is cooking for you, so be grateful."

I was rather happy that she was pointing with her finger at me, rather than with the spoon which she used for the food. But the bratty attitude was still there. Good thing that in the past half year I learned something rather useful about my little sister.

So I brought my face on the same level as hers. Somehow I managed to grow a little bit in the last half year. Not much- two or three centimeters only.

My face was right in front of hers. And I saw the first signs of a blush.

"What is with my cute little sister? Not feeling well?"

"S-Shut up you idiot! I'm just warm…"

She was looking at the cooking pots again, positively flushed.

I had to admit, the heater and the stove were on. Well, out there was late Novemer. Which was one reason why I almost collapsed at my front door: It was freaking cold outside, which I clearly underestimated when I started running.

Now, to the fact that I learned about my sister, and the other die-hard tsundere-girls around me.

They are weak when attacked.

But don't worry: I'm not doing super embarrassingly things- just enough to see the wanted result.

Here, it was to shake up my bratty little sister a bit.

I positioned myself behind her, so I was able to hug her from behind.

"What are you doing o-onii-chan..."

Besides of her calling me "onii-chan", something she still avoided to do at any price, she also started to squirm in my arms. By laying my chin on her shoulder I could _feel _the red on her cheek.

"You know, since you are so warm, and I'm a bit cold…"

Actually, that was a lie. I was pretty warm myself.

"G-Go hugging the heater then, id-"

She wasn't really resisting. Actually I could feel how she started to lean her back into me. I was maybe pushing my luck a bit- Snuggling my cheek against hers from behind made her stop dead in her rambling.

Not that I wasn't affected as well. The warm drowsiness I was relaxing in wasn't just from the running and hot shower before. The smell of Kirino's hair might as well had to with that.

I almost forgot why I was hugging her, but the pots were still in front of us on the stove. Since she just became rather docile, or simply tried to suppress her embarrassment with all might, now it seemed rather safe to ask.

"Why are you cooking Kirino? I would even have to treat you this week, remember?"

That was because she has been here before I had finished running. Since Kirino found out that I was running again (she tried her best to hide her happiness about that fact, something I wouldn't have been able to figure out a year before), we always started running at the same time. The one who was first got treated to dinner by the second.

"Might be so. Speaking of that, why have you been so late today?"

She asked while lifting one of the Deckel of the pots. An actually very tasty smell came out. My stomach rumbled audible at this, and my little sister smiled, while being tactfully enough to not comment on that.

Since it would be my turn now to be flustered, I answered quickly:

"I might have ran an extra mile…"

It took her few moments to react on this. As she did the only thing I could hear was a mumbled sentence which ended on "…baka."

I couldn't read her that good, so I didn't really understood what she was meaning this time.

Maybe she was envious because my process was so incredible?

…maybe Manami was right about my bad personality before. My bragging came back rather easy, not so my stamina and good grades. However, thinking about my childhood friend made me feel guilty. We rarely spoke since the confrontation in the park near our parent's houses.

When we did, it was rarely more than a few words. I might were dodging her…

"…spacing out?"

"Huh?"

My sister was glancing at me. It seemed I really started to space out.

"Sorry, what was it Kirino?"

I made a lumpy smile. I hadn't realized I had started frowning before.

Instead of saying something she brought a spoon in front of my face. On the spoon was red sauce.

My body reacted on its own as I stopped hugging her and was jumping back.

A mocking smile appeared on her features.

"Oh, aren't you a ruthless guy… disregarding the food your sweet imouto made for you?"

The playful tone seemed quite honest. It wasn't like Kirino didn't knew that her food was able to make grown man quiver in fear. Even our old man was bend into submission one time (me and oka-san had been running at the smell alone). Three spoons had been enough to make him become pale as snow. He didn't made the fourth stash, with him starting to shake so violently that the soup on his spoon were falling back into the bowl.

The following day had been the first day in four years that the old man had to call in ill. Since than Kirino was forbidden to cook at home.

You see, my reaction might was understandable.

Still, this cute demon in front of me was closing in while holding the spoon like a weapon. Yes, I have been very late this time (Kirino had been able to shower in the time I was still away, as well as she was able to loot my belongings for something she could wear, which takes almost as much time as it takes for her to shower), but was that really a reason to kill me?

The time for negotiations was over!

But even before I was able to even look for a way out of my situation, she already blocked the door. Her smile had already ascended to wicked levels.

Before I gave in to my fate I tried one last, desperate attempt to escape.

"Y-You know K-kirino-sama, I'm not that hungry you know, so I will… pass?"

Please, spare me.

"Refused. Now say 'Aaah'."

She told me like I was some kind of toddler. In any other situation I would be embarrassed, this time however I was too mortified to do that. I gave in.

I opened my mouth (without the iconic Aaah-sound).

The spoon found it's way into my mouth. She was even a little gentle while feeding me, at least she didn't yanked the spoon into my mouth.

I was ready to drop dead on the spot…

"Its… its good."

Well, not absolutely delicious, but eatable. I was surprised. Truly surprised.

However, I felt it then. Like a little flame in the back of my throat. I coughed.

Kirino, who looked like she just has beaten Ria in a sprinting match, started to frown at me.

"What's wrong, you unthankful idiot?"

Wow, she must really take pride in this pasta. Still, the burning wouldn't stop.

I made my way to the sink, pouring myself a glass of water. Well, more like three glasses.

After the fire in my throat started to finally being bearable. I spoke to my sister, which seemed really pissed at me.

"Kirino, how much spice did you put into that?"

"A spoon."

"Spoon-spoon, or tea-spoon?"

She blinked a few times at this. But my guess seemed right, since her eyes went wide and a little "Oh" was audible.

She plunged the spoon back into the sauce to get some of the crimson-red stuff on it. Merely nipping on the spoon, now also Kirino realized her failure. Likely to check on it she putted a small white paper out of her apron and looked at it.

A painfully awkward smile appeared on her face.

"You're were treating, right?"

I made a defeated sigh.

"I will try to fix this, you can go the living-room and set up the table."

"Alright, Aniki~!"

Well, I still loved her. Even though I knew that I won't be able to make this work forever…

* * *

Well, hello. Some of you might still know me, I'm the author of an oreimo-Story a year before, titled "A photography", which I took down because of some amounts of tackiness I couldn't bear anymore.

And, yes, this is the next try. Even though One could read this and think it's an One-Shot, I still made sure to give some hints about things which could become important later on.

This "beginning" of the story is roughly a half year after the graduation of Kirino, Kyousuke and Manami. These three will also be the main-chars, mostly because I love the dynamic of the three childhood-friends.

I have to say, this first cap may became a bit fluffy, but well I guess they would start to change a bit: Kyousuke finds back to his courage and ego, while kirino tries as always to be the best: This time in the categeorie "imouto-gf/wife".

Well, thanks for reading.

m.f.G.

Adept


End file.
